This one pan baked chicken and rice is pure comfort food made easy! Juicy, marinated chicken thighs nestled into seasoned rice and stock then baked together in one pan until tender, savoury and deeply satisfying. The chicken stays succulent, the rice is perfectly cooked with crispy edges and fluffy middle and the whole dish comes together with barely any washing up.
Inspired by the flavours of claypot-style chicken and rice, this recipe captures all the umami flavour and comfort with minimal prep. Because the rice is brought to a simmer before baking, it ends up fluffy and the chicken stays juicy every time.
Try this slow cooker satay chicken too!
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
- One pan wonder – minimal prep, minimal dishes
- Deep umami flavour – from soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic and ginger
- Juicy, tender chicken – thanks to a quick marinade
- Crispy, golden rice edges whilst fluffy in the middle
- Family friendly comfort food that’s easy enough for weeknights
Ingredients & substitutions
Most of the ingredients in this Asian inspired chicken and rice bake are shelf-stable, can keep well in the fridge or from the freezer making this an easy recipe to plan ahead or pull together at the last minute.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
- Jasmine rice or any long grain rice will work here. Jasmine rice works especially well as it absorbs flavours without becoming heavy.
- Chicken thighs: These are better than chicken breast in this recipe as they will stay more juicy. You can use bone-in thighs if you like. I wouldn’t worry about skin on as that will not crisp up in this dish anyway.
- Frozen vegetables: I love that this recipe can take any kind of frozen veggies just fine. I use a mixture of peas, carrots, corn and green beans. I’ve also used frozen spinach previously and that works great too – just make sure to thaw it first and squeeze as much liquid from it as possible. Try broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots. Even a bag of coleslaw will work in this recipe.
- Soy sauce and oyster sauce combine here for a wonderful oomph of flavour. Don’t use light soy sauce.
- Chilli paste: I use a jarred chilli paste for convenience but you can skip it or use any other type of chilli you like for instance finely chopped fresh chilli, sriracha or sambal oelek.
- Garlic and ginger are regulars in Asian dishes – both add flavour, one punchy, the other a little tang.
How to make one pan chicken and rice bake
This baked chicken and rice recipe is incredibly quick to throw together. There is no need to brown the chicken first (though you can if you want to). The chicken thighs are marinated, then added to hot stock and rice then, the oven does the rest of the work.
Why it works
- Simmering the rice and stock first begins the cooking process and gets the rice cooking evenly from the start.
- Covering the bake keeps steam in so no moisture is lost to the oven.
- Chicken thighs are naturally more tender and juicy than chicken breast.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
1. Marinate the chicken
Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl then add the chicken thighs and chill for 20 minutes (or up to 12 hours meaning you can put this part together before you go off to work).
2. Heat the stock and rice
Add the rice and stock to a large stove-to-oven pan and bring it to a simmer. I use my enamel braising pan. If you don’t have a pan that will go from stovetop to oven, just do this step in a large saucepan, then transfer it to a casserole dish to bake.
3. Add the chicken and vegetables and bake
Now, stir in the vegetables. Add the chicken pieces to the top and drizzle over the remaining marinade. Bake for 35 minutes.
Tips and tricks
- Rinse the rice well before cooking: This removes excess starch, which helps the rice cook up fluffy rather than gummy – especially important when baking rice.
- Use chicken thighs for the juiciest chicken. Chicken breasts contain less fat and therefore dry out more easily. That said, using chicken thighs does not make this recipe unhealthy. Trim excess visible fat away and this is still a perfectly healthy and well-balanced dinner.
- Don’t skip the marinade: It’s only 20 minutes and it gives the flavourings some time to begin seasoning the chicken.
- Use all the marinade: Don’t leave anything behind. A little mixed through the rice and the rest drizzled over the chicken adds the perfect amount of flavour and seasoning for the recipe.
- Use a wide pan (or casserole dish): This will allow the rice to spread out and cook evenly in the oven.
- Keep the pan covered while baking: This traps the steam in so the rice cooks properly. If you’d like more colour on the chicken, grill it under an oven grill / broiler for a few minutes to finish.
- Don’t use light soy sauce – it’s far too salty. The “light” does not refer to being low-sodium rather it refers to its lighter consistency.
Storage
Fridge
Any leftover chicken and rice bake should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It reheats well in the microwave or oven.
Freezer
You can freeze this baked rice and chicken in portions for another time. Keep in mind, frozen rice can become a little mushy on thawing.
FAQs
You can but it may turn out dry. Chicken thighs are naturally more juicy than chicken breast.
A long grain rice works best here. Jasmine rice is recommended as it’s aromatic qualities work so well with Asian recipes and it absorbs flavours well.
You can marinade the chicken up to 12 hours prior however the rest is best done when you’re ready to cook. Once the chicken is in the marinade, there is only about 5 minutes hands-on time left.
This could be due to a lid or aluminium foil not being tight enough on the pan or the stock being simmered for too long on the stove top. This will allow steam to escape, not leaving enough for the rice to cook in.
This is likely due to overcooking or adding too much liquid.
If you’re craving something cosy, flavourful and wonderfully low-effort this one pan chicken and rice is always a good idea. It feels comforting, generous and satisfying – perfect for feeding the people you love or enjoying leftovers the next day.
More recipes you’ll love
Try these Asian inspired recipes too!
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Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 6 medium chicken thighs
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornflour (US cornstarch) (6tsp, notes 1)
- ⅓ cup soy sauce not light soy (80ml)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (4 tsp, notes 1)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon chilli paste optional (notes 2)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil divided (1:1)
FOR THE RICE
- 1 ½ cups rice (325g / 11 ½ oz)
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock (625ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables of choice
FOR TOPPING
- 2-3 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- or saucepan and large casserole dish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cornflour and soy sauce and mix well until smooth. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, chilli paste, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Mix well, then add the chicken thighs coating them well. Chill 20 minutes to marinate (or up to 12 hours).⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons cornflour (US cornstarch), 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon chilli paste, 3 cloves garlic, 3 teaspoons fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 6 medium chicken thighs
- Preheat the oven to 200C/350F. Make sure you have a large pan that can go from stove top to oven and either a suitable lid or aluminium foil at the ready. If you don’t have a pan that can go from stove to oven, just do step steps 3-4 in a large saucepan, then transfer to a casserole dish for the rest.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add it to the base of an oven safe pan. Pour in the chicken stock, salt, the remaining sesame oil. Mix well.1 ½ cups rice, 2 ½ cups chicken stock, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Place on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Then turn off the heat.
- Stir the vegetables and a few spoonfuls of the marinade liquid into the rice. Place the chicken over the top of the rice nestling them down slightly then pour the remaining marinade over the top of the thighs.2 cups mixed frozen vegetables of choice, marinated chicken thighs and marinade
- Cover with a lid and bake for around 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is fluffy.
- If you want to caramelise the chicken a little more, you can place it under an oven grill / broiler for a few minutes.
- Generously scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds then serve.2-3 spring onions, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Chilli paste: I use a jarred chilli paste for convenience but you can skip it or use any other type of chilli you like for instance finely chopped fresh chilli, sriracha or sambal oelek).
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2 Comments on “One Pan Baked Chicken and Rice”
Full of flavour and great for when you have very little time
I’m so happy you tried and love it, Lynn. Thanks so much for dropping back to review.